We are sending it out to encourage State and Local PTAs to endorse the Resolution.

NPTA isn’t able to officially endorse the resolution – we are in alignment. It would have to be voted on by membership at our convention and we can’t get that to happen at this point – we are sending it out via social media to encourage state and local PTAs to endorse.”

“PTA opposes the use of a national, mandated, standardized test as the sole criterion for measuring a school’s or student’s progress.

An assessment system should evaluate higher-order skills, including students’ abilities to use technology, conduct research, engage in scientific investigation, and solve problems.

An accountability system should include other indicators of educational quality, such as competency of teaching staff, class size, parent involvement, facility condition, and quality of instructional materials.

PTA also believes that states and schools must have the resources – including adequate financial and technical support – to address specific problems and ensure that schools can meet high standards.

Student assessment should identify how instruction and learning can be improved.

Assessments should be used to help parents and teachers determine the specific academic needs of students and increase opportunities for student learning. Assessments should not be used for high-stakes determinations such as grade promotion or graduation.”

The nations most influential education reformers in Jeb Bush, Michelle Rhee and Arne Duncan would have you believe that they are speaking for the nation’s parents. Yet their test-dominated philosophy is at odds with the nation’s oldest and largest parent organization.

Florida PTA groups were part of the broad parent coalition which defeated parent trigger in March. With reports indicating that other state school boards will be taking up the Resolution within the next few weeks, local PTAs will give board members supportive of the measure the political cover they may be looking for.

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About Bob Sikes

A long time ago and a planet far, far away I was an athletic trainer for the New York Mets. I was blessed to be part of the now legendary 1986 World Series Championship. My late father told me that I'd one day be thankful I had that degree in teaching from Florida State University. He was right and I became twice blesses to become a teacher in the late 1990's. After dabbling with writing about the Mets and then politics, I settled on education.

3 Responses to PTA Encourages State and Local Chapters to Adopt National Resolution on High Stakes Testing

I would like to see added to the first statement “or evaluating teachers”. An excellent book for all to read on this subject is The Myths of Standardized Tests: Why They Don’t Tell You What You Think They Do.

The leadership of our state and national government seems to be committed to making sure the public schools continue to look as though they are failing. This has never been the case!

For clarification – National PTA has not endorsed (and will not be endorsing) the National Resolution of High Stakes Testing. The sharing of this resolution via National PTA social media outlets was to make state and local PTAs aware of the resolution and provide them with the opportunity to learn more and officially endorse, should they feel compelled to do so.

National PTA leads efforts related to federal education reform, backed by national resolutions and position statements approved by the national Board and membership body. Every PTA, from National down to the local unit level, is an independently incorporated 501(c)(3) organization, and as such acts with autonomy on matters of state and local level policy.

The resolution, while mostly aligned with National PTA’s position statement on testing and accountability, has not been endorsed by the National PTA. National PTA welcomes endorsements from state and local PTA units, but has not officially requested or encouraged that PTAs support the National Resolution of High States Testing.